Sana – is on the lookout for cute frocks and funky accessories. She’ll be checking out P0isson, Kitsch Clothing and 69 Vintage.

Irene – asked me to come as her date! So when Ray pulled her name out of the hat I decided that I’d take her up on her offer and also draw for the tickets that I’d set aside for myself. Irene is planning on visiting her friend Jennifer at Paper People Clothing, and I’m just there to scope out the show and meet people.

The winner of the bonus tickets is… Barry. He wants to buy stuff on the rare side ;)

I’ve left your names with the girls at the gate, so you can pick up your tickets whenever you show up to the show, either on Friday, Saturday or Sunday. Have fun and buy lots!

The good people at The Clothing Show offered me 4 sets of free tickets to give away. The Clothing Show is a great big event that is a little bit like a mass sample sale, and a bit like a consumer trade show. Its a lot of fun for people who love clothes. It is also a terrific opportunity to meet a lot of local designers in person, and shop for some unique threads and great deals – especially at the very end of the show ;)

Want a free set of two tickets? Leave a comment here – tell me your full name, and make sure you enter a valid email address. Also, please tell me what you’re shopping for, who you plan on taking with you, or if there are any vendors you’re looking forward to checking out. I’ll draw from the comments randomly on April 30 and post the winners here on Final Fashion.

Its harder than it seems to tell if something is important or not. If you want, tag yourself and find out.

I thought of tagging Auntie Fashion… just because Auntie is one of those anonymous bloggers that I keep trying to identify and I need all the clues I can get, no matter how unimportant. Then I thought better of it.

All I can glean is that Auntie probably lives in Toronto but is originally from another province, has a CV similar to Lucinda McRuvy‘s that includes both television hosting and writing. She hates Marc Jacobs and Tyra Banks. She loves Tom Ford and Simon Doonan. She is a good blogger – Auntie Fashion is a fun read.

Any guesses? I’ve got one. But even though I loathe anonymity on the internet, I am hesitant to post my guess. I like the work of the person I think it is.

Anita and I are going to go watch Eleven Minutes at Hot Docs on Friday night. Watch the trailer to see the amazingness. Jay McCarroll‘s back and the stakes are higher! Instead of Tim Gunn, there is Kelly Cutrone! But mostly, a hundred and two minutes of Jay and the incredible New York City fashion contraption in action.

It has been interesting to get some media attention and broader interest for TFBB; but recently it has been getting a bit challenging to manage. Some people come just to chat about fashion, and that is what we love, but sometimes it seems like people have other motivations for coming which aren’t so lovely. I guess it means that the brunch is popular, or perhaps by some measures successful. Popularity changes things, though. Now I find myself missing the days when the brunch was smaller and a bit off the radar, and the regular brunchers agree with me.

So I am killing TFBB.

Maybe not forever. It may be revived at some point. Someone else with better management skills might take over the organization of it someday. The brunch in its current incarnation is something I created, and so I can also destroy it.

Fashion bloggers will still get together in Toronto – we all have eachother’s email addresses and know how to use them. We have not lost our desire to meet new fashion bloggers and get to know our readers in person; and we will find new ways to do that.

It has been an incredible series of meals and introduced me to many new friends and opportunities. I want to thank everyone who has ever come to TFBB and who took part in a small phenomenon.

Fellow Ryerson 06’er Rachel McGillivray showed an upbeat collection of kicky shorts and cropped jackets. Since I have not seen her since graduation, it was neat to see her grinning ear to ear when she took her bow.

The Deadly Nightshades movie was cute as hell and full of optimism and Jägermeister. Politics aside (thinking gives you wrinkles), the Nightshades bring something to fashion that is new and entertaining and I look forward to seeing where they pop up next.

Heidi Ackerman (photo below) took home the Beefeater award for a collection with a distinct point of view, full of designs that were desireable and somehow both rustic and luxurious at the same time.

The last day, “Conflict” was darker and finished the week off with a peculiar discord. Visual artist Katharine Piro (below left) was possessed as a zombie bride for Magdelina. The makeup was outrageous, amazing.

I loved the event overall and was left with a lot of strong impressions. Cheers to everyone who participated!

I’ve been working with Adrienne Butikofer on the illustrative aspects of her New Labels collection. I’ve sewn a few seams too. One of the many challenges was sponsored by Pays d’Oc – they asked each designer to submit an illustration for an ad in Elle Canada.

The brief was a bit unusual – to somehow incorporate grapes into Adrienne’s outfits – but we figured it out and our submission was picked for publication! Thanks to the TFI, Pays d’Oc and Elle for the opportunity!

They’re a fashion-student bicycle-riding eco-head girl-gang. Back in the lab they were making matching outfits to wear to their film debut at FAT tomorrow. I had to linger… I love fashion students… and girl gangs… and matching outfits.

I get a huge kick out of the Nightshades. They’re rebellious and full of fun. I can not wait to see their movie! Fashion needs street fighters.

Of all the fashion magazines based in Toronto, FASHION has really made the effort to establish a presence on to the internet this year. Not too long ago they launched a pretty impressive Myspace profile, linking up to stories on their website as well as directly to Canadian designer’s profiles. From their blog –

MySpace Fashion is the new black?

Perhaps.But we are definitely your source for exclusives from the best Canadian designers, magazines, stylists, models, shops, photographers, insider information from the industry’s best and your ticket to go behind-the-scenes at the best events and parties.

FASHION MAGAZINE is looking for 10 fashion bloggers across Canada. We want to hear about the fashion finds in your city or town, and share them with our readers. Winners of this exciting contest will become key players on our web site, reporting on the latest shopping scoop in their cities.

So the deal is, contestants submit their blog. 20 finalists are chosen, and FASHION’s readers get to vote for their favourites – ten finalists win a chance to blog about the shopping scene in their city on FASHION’s website. Ah, the fabulous life of a “pro” blogger. Is that all? No, the ten finalists also win a phone with 100 minutes from Virgin. And? The chance to win a trip to New York City.

Since writing shopping posts is not my thing I won’t be entering… but you can bet I will be watching, reading, and voting.

Sounds sort of like an internship right? You get bragging rights… and exposure? Perhaps.

If you are thinking of entering, here is a little tip, fashion blogger to fashion blogger. You better read the fine print.